Fixed wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are an increasingly common sensing platform, owing to their key advantages: speed, endurance and ability to explore remote areas. While these platforms are highly efficient, they cannot easily be equipped with air data sensors commonly found on their larger scale manned counterparts. Indeed, such sensors are bulky and expensive. They can severely reduce the payload capability of the UAVs. In consequence, UAV controllers (humans or autopilots) have little information on the actual mode of operation of the wing (normal, stalled, spin) which can cause catastrophic losses of control when flying in turbulent weather conditions. Because of their relatively small scale, wind turbulence has a much larger effect on small UAVs than on larger aircrafts.
Additionally, one of the biggest issues arising with the operation of UAVs (including remote controlled airplanes) is the need for extensive training of the pilots. While autopilots could theoretically fly the UAVs, the small size and low cost of UAVs makes these autopilots relatively simple. These autopilots are, for example, unable to avoid or detect an aerodynamic stall and react accordingly, leading to a high number of crashes. In consequence, humans or autopilots do not typically fly UAVs at the edge of the flight envelope in order to keep a high safety margin. This can reduce the performance of the UAV (turn radius, slow speed flight) compared to its maximal possible performance.
Accordingly, there is a need to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.